The museum was originally started because of the Red Cars. People riding the Red Cars in the late fifties realized the trolleys would soon disappear as the freeway system expanded. They formed a group known as the Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California.

The equipment that group collected was originally kept at Travel Town in Griffith Park, but as the group expanded, and some land at Travel Town would be lost to those freeways, they moved the collection to the current site in 1958.

But as the site grew it began to collect other train-related items including a collection that has another Disney connection, the Grizzly Flats Railroad. That railroad was the private rail line of one of Walt Disney's nine-old-men of animation, Ward Kimball.

Kimball owned two steam locomotives, some passenger cars and other train-related stuff that he ran on tracks at his home in San Gabriel.

Before he passed away, he donated money for a train barn to be built at the museum. The barn is named for his railroad now holds all of Kimball's train collection.

Over the years the museum has added to its collections. Now there are more than 200 railroad cars and locomotives on the property, most visible either outside, or inside the numerous buildings. There's even a station at the front where visitors can purchase tickets to ride the Red Cars, or take a train ride.

On weekends during the winter months, those rides could be sitting inside some antique cars pulled by an oil-burning steam engine that used to run as part of the Ventura County Railway.

In November, Thomas the Tank steam engine pays a visit to the museum that brings out all the kids for a chance to ride on a train pulled by the famous faced engine.

Lest you think it's just about the trains, it's also about train lore. Currently the museum is putting together a place to hold a tribute to the Harvey Girls, waitresses that staffed the Fred Harvey Houses and restaurants that were fixtures on the old Santa Fe passenger lines.

The all-volunteer staff prides itself on restoring and maintaining all manner of railroad equipment. One of the buildings houses a full machine shop that includes numerous specialty-testing devices to ensure that all the different air brakes work properly.

Because it is run by volunteers, members can learn how to do almost anything. Don't expect to be the engineer behind the controls of a steam engine day one. That takes years to learn and get certified by the state.

Related Links

The Pacific Electric Red Car, operated by Earl Nickels, rolls into the station at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Volunteers gather in the morning at the Orange Empire Railway Museum station before setting about their duties of running trains, or refurbishing them. The museum is run entirely by volunteers. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The signs point to some of the highlights to see at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Emma Nevada steam locomotive, was part of the Grizzly Flats Railroad owned and operated by the late Ward Kimball, one of Walt Disney's nine-old-men of animation. Kimball's family donated his railroad engines and cars donated to the Orange Empire Railway Museum a few years after his death. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The tender attached to the Emma Nevada steam locomotive that was part of Ward Kimball's Grizzly Flats Railroad now sits at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
This passenger car was part of Ward Kimball's Grizzly Flats Railroad. The first Disneyland Railroad passenger cars resembled this car. It now sits at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
This old-style wooden box cars that was once part of the Southern Pacific Railroad. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
One of the barns housing railroad equipment at the Orange Empire Railway Museum was built with funds donated by Ward Kimball. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Two flat cars are coupled together in the foreground, with a passenger car from Ward Kimball's Grizzly Flats Railroad in the background. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Chloe, another smaller steam locomotive that was part of Ward Kimball's Grizzly Flats Railroad, is now on display at the Orange Empire Railway Museum. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
This colorful painting of Ward Kimball sits next to some of the rolling stock from his Grizzly Flats Railroad at the Orange Empire Railway Museum. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A smaller passenger car that was part of Ward Kimball's collection now sits inside the Grizzly Flats Railroad barn at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The interior of an old United States Post Office railroad car. The car included a sorting area so postal workers could sort the mail while being pulled on the rails. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Inside a restored Pacific Electric Red Cars on display at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA has one of the largest collections of Pacific Electric Red Cars in the world. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
One of the older Pacific Electric Red Cars at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
This Baldwin 'Prairie' 2-6-2 steam locomotive once worked on the Ventura County Railway. Old Number 2 is one of the Orange Empire Railway Museum's working steam locomotives. It runs on occasional weekends from fall to spring. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
One of the special railroad cars preserved at the Orange Empire Railway Museum is this private business excutive's coach, complete with working kitchen, dining room, office and bedrooms for the CEO and a member of his staff. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Union Pacific 942 is a diesel-electric engine built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors Corp. in May 1953. It is a working locomotive that is now part of the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Earl Nickels of Santa Ana is at the controls of the "Hollywood" Pacific Electric Red Car at the Orange Empire Railway Museum. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Earl Nickels, a volunteer at the Orange Empire Railway Museum, operates one of the Pacific Electric Red Cars that runs at the museum. The Red Car used to operate in the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood on the old Pacific Electric Railroad system. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A Pacific Electric Red Car runs on a loop of tracks around the Orange Empire Railway Museum. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A visit from Thomas the Tank Engine in the fall months is one of the most popular events at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Two of the operating engines at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA. On the left is a Pacific Electric Red Car, on the right a diesel electric FP-45 engine that used to run on the Santa Fe Railroad. MARK EADES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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